Obeyed the voice of the LORD: see the comments on verse 19.

Gone on the mission: see verse 18.

I have brought: it may be necessary in some languages to make explicit where Saul brought Agag. Good News Translation and many English translations say “brought back.” It is possible to be more explicit and state “I have brought to Gilgal” (see verses 12, 21 and 33). Since Agag was brought by force to Gilgal, translators may wish to use a verb that expresses this force. Compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente (“And I have taken their king Agag prisoner”) and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh (“I captured King Agag of Amalek”).

Agag: as in verse 8.

Utterly destroyed: see the comments on verse 3.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Here as earlier in this chapter, the people means “the troops” (Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “the soldiers” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

On the terms for sheep and oxen, see the comments at 12.3 and verse 3 above.

The best of the things devoted to destruction: all of the people and animals were supposed to be destroyed (see verse 3), and nothing was to be taken as spoil. Good News Translation does not preserve the sense of the Hebrew that the animals that were taken as spoil were also things devoted to destruction. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “the best part of that which was supposed to have been destroyed.”

New Jerusalem Bible provides one model for maintaining this aspect of meaning: “And from the booty the people have taken the best sheep and cattle of what was under the curse of destruction only to sacrifice them to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.”

Your God: see the comments on verse 15.

In Gilgal: Saul, Samuel, and the troops are now in Gilgal, so Good News Translation makes this explicit by adding the word “here.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Samuel’s words seem to have a prophetic and proverbial style, and most scholars consider verses 22-23 to be Hebrew poetry. For this reason many modern translations place verses 22-23 in poetic form and divide the lines as in Revised Standard Version. Some translations, however, use poetic form only for verse 22 (so Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) and others do not use poetic form at all (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version). Some combine the parallel lines in these verses into a single statement (so Good News Translation). Translators will have to decide which form best expresses the meaning in the receptor language.

Samuel’s words are not a categorical rejection of offerings and sacrifices; they are rather a call for the supreme importance of obedience to God (for similar thoughts, see Isa 1.10-11; Jer 6.20; 7.21-26; Hos 6.6; Amos 5.21-24; Micah 6.6-8).

The question in the first half of this verse is rhetorical. Regarding burnt offerings see the comments on 7.9.

In obeying … to obey: literally “in hearing … to hear.”

Obeying the voice: see the comments on verse 19.

The second half of this verse begins with the interjection Behold. Many translations leave this word untranslated, but in some languages the force of the interjection may be expressed by saying something like “Surely” (New Revised Standard Version) or “Truly” (New Jerusalem Bible).

The second half of this verse is elliptical, leaving unstated a number of things. The sense is “Surely, to obey God is better than to offer sacrifices while not obeying God. And to listen to what God wants us to do is more important than offering God sacrifices consisting of the fat of male sheep while not paying attention to what God says to us.”

Rams were sacrificed for peace offerings (Lev 1.10-14) and for guilt offerings (Lev 5.14-16). This is the only place where this Hebrew term is used in the books of Samuel. A ram is a male sheep.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse begins with the word ky, which most translations take as the conjunction expressing a relationship of cause with the preceding verse. Usually this word is translated For (Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or left untranslated (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). It is, however, possible to understand this as a demonstrative particle expressing a strong positive statement. Fox, for example, has “Indeed, (like) a sin of diviners is rebellion.”

Rebellion … and stubbornness: both of these nouns are verbal nouns with God as the implicit object. They express the opposite of the verbs “to obey” and “to hearken” in verse 22b. Rebellion is a voluntary rejection of God’s authority. Stubbornness is the translation of a Hebrew infinitive whose precise meaning is uncertain. Among the various renderings are “presumption” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and Anchor Bible), “arrogance” (Good News Translation and Revised English Bible), “defiance” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and “self will” (Moffatt). In some languages it will be more natural to use verbs and make the implied object explicit. In languages where the nouns rebellion and stubbornness must be translated as verbal expressions, it will be possible to say “to rebel against God is just as bad as practicing witchcraft. When you are hard-headed it is just as bad as doing evil and worshiping idols.”

Divination was prohibited in the Law of Moses (for example, Num 23.23; Deut 18.10). The verb based on the same root as this noun occurs in 28.8. Unlike magic, which attempted to control future events, divination is an effort to learn what future events will be before they happen. In the Old Testament divination took various forms, including interpreting dreams and casting lots.

Stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry: the text does not state the basis of the comparison between stubbornness and iniquity and idolatry. Good News Translation indicates that the basis of comparison is the wrong or evil committed. This is done by adding “as bad as” and “as sinful as.”

And idolatry: literally “and teraphim.” This word occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament. In Gen 31.19, 34-35 teraphim are Laban’s household idols and are small enough to be hidden under a saddle bag and sat on. They seem to have been used in seeking to determine the divine will (Ezek 21.21; Zech 10.2). Their use will be forbidden by Josiah (2 Kgs 23.24). Klein translates “the vanity of teraphim,” and Fox says “the iniquity of terafim,” but most modern versions speak rather of the “crime of idolatry” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) or something similar.

The word of the LORD does not here refer to the Bible but to the command in verse 3, so translators should avoid using an expression which may suggest that the Bible is intended. New American Bible speaks of “the command of the LORD.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

In the context of the ongoing conversation, the verb said may be better translated “responded” (La Bible du Semeur) or “answered” (Knox).

The verbs sinned and transgressed are very similar in meaning in this context. The verb transgressed is literally “crossed over,” but followed by the commandment it indicates a violation. The Old Testament often speaks of transgressing “the covenant” (Deut 17.2; Josh 7.11; 2 Kgs 18.2). On the verb sin see 2.25; 7.6; 12.50.

Revised Standard Version translates the Hebrew ky here as for, as do most translations. But as in the previous verse, Fox takes it here also as a demonstrative particle expressing emphasis, and translates as follows: “I have sinned, indeed, I have crossed the order of YHWH and your words, for I was afraid of the people.”

The commandment of the LORD: literally “the mouth of the LORD,” as also in Num 22.18.

Because: this introduces Saul’s justification for doing wrong. In some languages it will be better to begin a new sentence saying “I did this because….”

I feared the people, that is, “I was afraid of the troops” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). See the comments on verse 21.

Obeyed their voice: see the comments on verse 19.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The conversation between Samuel and Saul has apparently been in secret, away from the people. Now Saul asks Samuel to return with him to worship the LORD.

Now therefore: literally “And now.” Revised English Bible, like Good News Translation, begins this verse “But now,” indicating that Saul has something of a change of mind at this point.

I pray renders a Hebrew particle of entreaty or exhortation. In this context it may be legitimately translated “please” (New Jerusalem Bible) or even “I implore you” (Revised English Bible). But it should probably not be omitted. See the comments on 2.36.

Pardon my sin: The verb here translated pardon is more literally “lift.” It is rendered “forgive” in a similar context in Exo 32.32. It is also translated “forgive” in this verse by a number of English translations.

Worship: see the comments on 1.3.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Return with you: see the comments on verse 25.

The transition word for introduces Samuel’s reason for not accompanying Saul. It may be legitimately translated “because” in this verse.

The last part of this verse (for you have rejected … from being king over Israel) repeats the content of verse 23b.

The word of the LORD: see the comments on verse 23.

The conjunction and in the middle of this verse translates the common Hebrew conjunction. It may also be understood as indicating a logical result and be translated “so,” that is, “so YHWH has rejected you from being king over Israel” (Fox). Compare also “and therefore the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel” (Revised English Bible).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Saul’s action of tearing the robe (verse 27) and the symbolic meaning that Samuel gives to this action (verse 28) resemble the symbolic action of Ahijah in 1 Kgs 11.30-31. The Hebrew says literally “As Samuel turned to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt….” Nearly all translations insert the name “Saul” in place of the pronoun he, for the sake of clarity; otherwise the text seems to say that Samuel laid hold of the garment. Fox‘s literal translation may easily be misunderstood: “As Shemuʾel turned-about to go, he held-on to the corner of his cloak, and it tore.” It is therefore not recommended as a model.

The skirt of his robe, that is, the “hem” (New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible) of his robe. In some languages this may be translated “the edge of his cloak” or “the end of his clothing.” While the tearing of one’s own clothing in Old Testament times usually signifies grief or sadness over some sin or bad news, the symbolic meaning of Saul’s action is very different. Regardless of what Saul may have intended, the meaning of the gesture is explained by Samuel in the following verse.

The Hebrew verb translated it tore may also mean “to tear away.” Both interpretations are found in modern translations. Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Good News Translation, and Revised English Bible, for example, read “it tore.” New American Bible, however, reads “it tore off” and Anchor Bible says “it tore away.” The translation “it tore off” is recommended here.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .